“The advantage of transparent wood over something like glass is that it has all the strength of opaque lumber—but still lets in light. Berglund’s process, then, could be used to create everything from transparent wood structures to load-bearing windows that never crack or shatter. “We’re getting a lot of interest from architects, who want to bring more light into their buildings,” says Berglund. It’s also as biodegradable and environmentally friendly as regular wood. Berglund even imagines that his composite could be used to create entirely new types of sustainable solar panels, made out of wood instead of chemically treated glass.”